Rebirth 07: Starting with Saving a Bankrupt Restaurant

In the afternoon, Shi Ying arrived about ten minutes later than usual.

As for the reason, Shi Ying also called Zhou Wen to explain.

"How's everything going?" Zhou Wen asked.

Zhou Wen asked about Shi Ling, of course.

Shi Ying nodded and said, "Because I resigned from the factory, I had to move out of the dormitory where I used to live. After get off work, I helped my sister move her luggage to my place."

"As for other matters, they've been mostly taken care of."

When she made the call earlier, Shi Ling was also present and had a brief conversation with Zhou Wen.

Perhaps he heard from Shi Ying that the restaurant was doing quite well, so he asked if he needed to come to work at the restaurant in the afternoon.

Zhou Wen politely declined, suggesting that Shi Ling should focus on her own tasks first, as she had a lot to do today and should rest well.

As expected, it was another bustling night.

It could even be said to be the busiest night since the restaurant reopened, with some unfamiliar diners suddenly appearing.

They were all clearly there to enjoy crayfish.

Even though Zhou Wen bought ten or more kilograms of crayfish, it was still not enough to sell.

"Is there a table left at Xiao Shi's?" Li Lichun had also heard that Zhou's Restaurant had started serving crayfish, and he was planning to come tonight.

Shi Ying looked around the restaurant and found that there were no seats available.

Because there are quite a few solo diners at Zhouji Restaurant, it often happens that one person occupies a four-person table.

Although all the tables were full, it didn't feel crowded; some areas were quite empty.

"Uncle Li, please wait a moment," Shi Ying said.

Li Lichun nodded.

Upon entering the kitchen, Shi Ying poked her head in and said, "Boss, there are no seats available in the restaurant right now."

"No seats available?" Zhou Wen was taken aback.

Shi Ying nodded and said truthfully, "Because some of the customers are dining alone, there aren't enough seats."

Zhou Wen nodded and said, "Okay, I'll come out and take a look."

Zhou Wen also left first and went to the front hall, and things were indeed as Shi Ying had said.

As for tables and chairs, the restaurant still has a few.

When the restaurant closed down, they sold a lot of good tables and chairs to raise some money.

Some of the older, worn-out chairs were left unsold and unpriced, so they were kept in a corner of the restaurant.

As for whether there is space to put it down, of course there is.

Because the tables and chairs on one side have all been sold, there are still some empty seats in the restaurant where tables and chairs can be placed.

Zhou Wen first asked Shi Ying to continue entertaining the guests, and then called Shan Wei to a corner.

I found the folded round table in the corner.

The two of them worked together to prop up the table, and then placed a red plastic stool without a backrest on it.

There's really no other way now, we can only make do for the time being.

"Shi Ying, tell the guests, and then carefully wipe down the tables and chairs."

"Okay." Shi Ying nodded, then turned around and explained the situation to Li Lichun and the others.

"Any seats are fine with us, we're not picky," Li Lichun said with a smile, then casually asked:

"Are there any crayfish left?"

"There's more. Please wait a moment while I wipe the tables and chairs down."

After saying that, Shi Ying quickly went to wipe it off.

After wiping carefully, I ran my hand over the table and chair to check for any dirt or dust.

Only after confirming that everything is clean will we dare to let the guests sit down.

"Let's see what else we want to eat." Shi Ying placed the menu on the table and then took out a small notebook.

After glancing at the menu a few times, Li Lichun closed it and said, "The usual, please."

"Or how about another small serving of pork tripe and chicken soup? It's been a while since I've had it," Old Wang added.

"Okay, please have a seat for a moment."

"I remember we were saying a month ago that we probably wouldn't even have a seat when we came to the restaurant soon," Li Lichun said with a smile.

Old Wang nodded, his face contorted, and said, "Now it seems that's indeed the case."

"That's normal. After all, since the restaurant reopened, the only complaints about the food have been that people don't like it, not that it's bad."

"Yes." Li Lichun nodded with a sigh.

"My wife now enjoys eating out, something I never would have dared to dream of before."

Li Lichun's wife, Jia Yingmei, usually enjoys cooking noodles or millet porridge with some pickled vegetables.

But ever since she first tried the tomato and egg noodles at the restaurant, and then the shrimp and fish cake noodles, she has been coming to the restaurant more and more often with her husband, Li Lichun.

Jia Yingmei also thought about learning how to make it at home, but no matter what she did, she just couldn't make it taste like the restaurant's; she could only get a tiny bit off.

In the end, she simply stopped struggling and would usually come along whenever her husband wanted to eat at Zhouji Restaurant.

If I don't come here, I'll just alternate between tomato and egg noodles and shrimp and mushroom noodles, and occasionally change things up.

"I came quite late last night, and the smell of the crayfish was so tempting. I wanted to eat some, but they were all sold out."

"I was worried that I would be late again when I arrived, but thankfully it wasn't too late."

As he spoke, Lao Wang opened the beer he had brought and filled Li Lichun's glass.

The two first downed a glass of beer in one gulp, then refilled it.

"The food is taking a little longer to arrive than before," Old Wang remarked, noting that the two of them had already downed half their beers.

"It's normal for restaurants to be doing so well these days," Li Lichun said. "Besides, it seems like preparing crayfish naturally takes some time."

When Lao Wang said the food was served slowly, he was only referring to the crayfish.

Dishes like cold shredded vegetables and sliced ​​beef and tripe can be served in just three to five minutes.

"I was mainly drawn to the aroma of the crayfish; it was just too tempting," Old Wang said with a smile.

Li Lichun and the others didn't have to wait long before the spicy crayfish were served.

"Smelling and seeing are one thing, but when the crayfish are placed in front of you, it's another thing."

After Li Lichun shook his head and said something, everyone started eating.

"Old Li, how come you're so skilled at this? Did you and your wife come here to eat before?" Old Wang asked curiously, watching Li Lichun skillfully eat the crayfish.

Li Lichun chuckled and said, "Well, let me tell you, I was watching other people eat crayfish the other day and I was so envious that I kept staring at them, so I learned how to make it."

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this, enjoying their crayfish and drinks to their hearts' content.